Activating Save-While-Active in BRMS

To activate the save-while-active (SWA) feature, take the following steps:

1. Go to Edit Backup Control Group Entries display. In this example, we use the save-while-active feature while processing the LIBB and LINKLIST backup items.

                        Edit Backup Control Group Entries               RCHAS400   
                                                                                   
    Group . . . . . . . . . . : SAMPLE                                             
    Default activity  . . . . . *BKUPCY                                            
    Text  . . . . . . . . . . . *NONE                                              
                                                                                   
    Type information, press Enter.                                                 
                                                                                   
                                     Weekly   Retain Save     SWA                  
         Backup     List ASP         Activity Object While    Message    Sync      
    Seq  Items      Type Device      SMTWTFS  Detail Active   Queue      ID        
                                                                                   
      10 *EXIT                       *DFTACT                                       
      20 LIBA            *SYSBAS     *DFTACT  *ERR   *NO                           
      30 LIBB            *SYSBAS     *DFTACT  *ERR   *YES     *LIB       *NONE     
      40 LNKLIST    *LNK *SYSBAS     *DFTACT  *NO    *YES     *LIB       *NONE     
      50 *EXIT                       *DFTACT                                       
                                                                                   
                                                                                   
                                                                                   
                                                                            Bottom 
    F3=Exit    F5=Refresh    F10=Change item    F11=Display exits                  
    F12=Cancel    F14=Display client omit status    F24=More keys                  

2. To activate save-while-active, type *YES in the Save-while-active field. Additional values for this field are:

   *LIB

   This value indicates that library objects can be saved while in use by another job. Because all of the library objects reach checkpoint together, BRMS saves them in a consistent state in relationship to each other. If you specify multiple libraries in the control group, BRMS performs the checkpoint processing individually for the objects within each specified library. For example, to save LIBA and LIBB, the system performs two separate SAVLIB commands and establishes two checkpoints.

   Note:

   Physical files with members have the same save active date and time stamp. Libraries with thousands of objects may be too large for this option.

   *SYNCLIB

   This value also specifies that objects in a library can be saved while in use by another job. However, in this case, all of the objects and all of the libraries reach a checkpoint together. BRMS saves them in a consistent state in relationship to one another. Before you use the *SYNCLIB value to save data to a save file, keep the following in mind:

   • i5/OS restricts you to save single libraries to save files. BRMS adopts the same restriction.
   • The control group must use the *LIB level synchronization instead of *SYNCLIB.
   • If you specify a message queue in the SWA Message Queue field in the Edit Control Group Entries display, BRMS sends the synchronization message for every library.
   • BRMS completes the save processing without any warning or error messages. BRMS does not warn you if it adopts *LIB level of synchronization.
     Note:

     Different items (including libraries, backup lists, and special values) have different effects on save-while-active processing. See Using the Monitor Save While Active for BRM (MONSWABRM) Command for more information.

   *NWSSTG

   This value specifies that all the integrated file system objects can be saved while in use by another job. However, in this case, all of the objects reach a different checkpoint. The value also allows network server storage spaces in directory '/QFPNWSSTG' to be saved when they are active.

   *NWSSYNC

   This value specifies that all the integrated file system objects can be saved while in use by another job. However, in this case, all of the objects reach a checkpoint together. The value also allows network server storage spaces in directory '/QFPNWSSTG' to be saved when they are active.

   *SYNC

   This value specifies that all the integrated file system objects can be saved while in use by another job. However, in this case, all of the objects reach a checkpoint together.

   *SYSDFN

   This value also indicates that library objects can be saved while in use by another job. In this case, however, library objects can reach checkpoints at different times and may not exist in a consistent state in relationship to one another. You should not specify the *SYSDFN value if you plan to use the Monitor Save While Active for BRM (MONSWABRM) command. Nor should you use it to perform operations when a checkpoint has been reached. In these situations, the *SYSDFN values makes it more difficult to release the library.

   If you specify a value other than *NO in the Save-while-active field, an entry appears next to it in the SWA Message Queue field . The default value for this field is *LIB, which instructs BRMS to use the message queue that matches the name of the library you want to save. You can also specify the name of the message queue that contains the checkpoint messages.

   If you specify a value of *SYNCLIB, *SYNC, or *NWSSYNC, an additional entry appears next to the SWA Message Queue field, called the Sync ID field. The default value for this field is *NONE, which instructs BRMS there is no sync id to use for this save-while-active operation. This fields allows you to sync across multiple save jobs, all which will need to use the same id. An example on how to utilize this feature is found later in this chapter.

3. Press Enter to save. This returns you to the Work with Backup Control Groups display. BRMS uses the SWA feature as instructed during the next save of that control group.